The most memorable moment in my career to date has been the FDCI presents Lotus India fashion week auditions where I just went in impromptu. I knew the auditions are open Pan India for regular and zero size models, but I said I will give it a try so that I do not have a regret that I didn't try. So I went ahead, there were around 300 young girls all of 18 /19 years old and above and all zero size and we were only two plus-size models there that I did not give up hope with confidence.
1. Tell us more about your background and journey.
Beena Malji, I'm a graduate in French Literature, I was a housewife for 9 to 10 years after marriage, then I decided that I should not be wasting my time sitting at home rather utilise the talent that I have within, so I started my career at the age of 39 with TV commercials TV serials, Films and I started acting as a full-fledged profession.
I did National & International award-winning films, then three years back one day my daughter came and told me about plus-size modelling she said that Mom you can be an inspiration for a lot of women out there who are housewives, who have the talent and have the potential but do not know how to showcase themselves.
You can be an inspiration to thousands of plus size girls out there who do not have the confidence to come out of the shell and she told me about plus-size modelling which is like a revolution in western countries and they have a lot of dignity and respect in the fashion industry.
So we both went for my first audition for international brand PARFAIT, in a judgemental society like INDIA an 18 yr old daughter takes her mother for an intimate fashion show audition and I walked for India's first intimate fashion show for plus size women after that FDCI and lotus India fashion week was coming up with their new fashion week, they always had regular size models in 34 editions before.
For the first time, they chose a plus-size model to walk the ramp to imbibe inclusivity and I am blessed that I was chosen for that and I am INDIA'S first plus-size model to walk for lotus India fashion week to imbibe inclusivity and then I was the face of India's first lifestyle campaign where I host talk shows for the plus-size community, from that time onwards I am totally into body positivity. I'm the face of Badass Nations magazine, as the only female Ageless Talent on the ramp at 50.
I'm a jury at various Beauty pageants for plus & curvy. Recently was awarded as Global Diva Plus Size Ambassador with UNITED NATIONS support for sustainable development goals in INDIA.
The Revolution continues...
2. How can one approach their career and have the confidence and belief to become an actor?
Firstly, we have to understand that it's not a cakewalk, you have to put in a lot of hard work, a lot of patience is needed because there is so much competition in the industry.
You have to be positive and very confident about yourself because if you don't trust yourself the other person is not going to trust you as well. you have to learn the craft well and be there at the right place at the right time.
They say it is 60% luck and 40% hard work because there are 100 other people auditioning for the same character so yes you have to be very good. And you have to have the x-factor which a unique thing that you have that others do not.
Why would somebody choose you over hundreds of other people that uniqueness that speciality that you need to have which keeps you or takes you one notch higher than the others that is very important?
3. How did you become a model and reach this stage?
As I said earlier I already was an actor before I became a full-fledged model one day my daughter came up and told me about plus-size modelling which has created a revolution across the globe and because I was a plus-size person and I had faced body shaming all my life.
She told me like you know you are an inspiration for housewives because you started your career at 39 and you know people look up to you to rekindle and restart their career so you will also be an inspiration to thousands of young plus size girls who are not confident and who are scared to come out of the shells and do not have the confidence to face the world and showcase their talents.
You could be an inspiration to thousands of them so she took me for plus size modelling audition for an international brand parfait and I am proud to say that I walked for India's first plus-size intimate fashion show and that's how I started my career in the modelling industry and I am blessed that today I am one of the Ace plus size models of the country.
To reach this stage as I said earlier you have to have a lot of confidence and patience and fire within you to become somebody, only then you succeed in any field, be in the fashion industry modelling industry or any other industry so you have to have the passion you have to learn to take rejection and then you come up and bloom.
4. What is your opinion of body image created by the media and how hard is it to put up with it?
Actually, a body image cannot be created by media unless you are that person yourself, you have to be the same person in front of the media and behind it, if you are true to yourself if you talk naturally in your interviews if you're truly in your image in front of the media then you do not have to put up a facade or put up a mask to disguise or to hide what you actually are so just yourself, be down to earth in front of the media.
Yes, you are playing a character in front of the camera which is not always you yourself like at the moment I am playing Sarla Ji in Ishq Par Zor Nahin so Beena and Sarla are not the same people.
Both the characteristics are different the mannerisms are different if I try to act like her in front of media and other interviews and my fans that is not the right thing so if you behave like yourself then there is no need to keep up a body image for the media.
Secondly, why would the media make a body image for you if your personality is strong enough to be portrayed as you are. Then the media will put you as you are why you have to live up to that image if you are already the same person, you do not have to work hard to maintain that image. Because you are the same person.
As far as Been Malji goes I am a very simple person and I like to be the same in front of media also.
5. What are some of the challenges you’ve faced along the way, and how did you respond to them?
Yes, I also had my share of struggle & challenges. When we started in the entertainment industry we did not have the backup of social media neither did we have a platform to showcase ourselves nor did we have a godfather.
At my age, the level of challenges is more, so I had to make rounds of production houses and modelling agencies with our pictures and portfolios and work reels.
After entering the modelling field it has been a different struggle altogether as a plus-size person so body shaming and the industry is not very open towards plus-size models the fashion world there is no market there are no brands for the plus-size model.
It becomes difficult sometimes but then I said that if you have the fire in you if you have the passion in you and you have the go-getting attitude and you project yourself as a unique person only then heads will turn towards you they will take notice of you and then you can carve a niche for yourself amongst other people.
As I'm a plus-size model, plus due to my age there are a lot of restrictions & hurdles that come in my way but I overlooked them I jump over them and I am ready to take the rejection with the same spirit as taking selection.
So initially, when I would go for different auditions there was a comparison and a competition between the zero size models and the regular models. Obviously, they had an upper hand but if you have that X factor, it makes the brand & the designers and the casting coordinator turn & look up to you that this person has the fire has that thing in her to showcase our brand and she will do justice to our clothing our brand our company then this is how you get selected for a particular thing.
Initially, when I was only into acting my whole family my siblings, close relatives were very proud of me when I would do international films etc but the moment I entered plus-size model & I did my first plus size intimate fashion show.
The judgemental Indian society values seeped in and my family disowned me, and my nieces and nephews felt ashamed of me because I was in the plus-size modelling and till date.
After that, they have cut off all ties with me but nevertheless, I did not turn back, my daughter told me that what you're doing is for the plus size fraternity and a lot of other women can make a living with this.
So if you back up now India and Indian mentality will never change, so from that date to today I have never backed off and I am always in for body positivity and I try to talk to plus size girls especially young girls to try to give them that confidence and to enter the industry if we all join hands together only then this.
Revolution will go on and we will mark a brand name in India and the plus-size industry will definitely prosper and I talk to plus size girls especially young girls only then this Revolution will go on and we will mark a brand name in India and plus size industry will definitely evolve.
6. What has been the most memorable moment in your career to date?
The most memorable moment in my career to date has been the FDCI presents Lotus India fashion week auditions where I just went in impromptu. I knew the auditions are open in Pan India for regular and zero size models but I said I will give it a try.
So that I do not have a regret that I didn't try so I went ahead, there were around 300 young girls all of 18 /19 years old and above and all zero size and we were only two plus-size models there that I did not give up hope with confidence.
I went through all the rounds of ramp walk I cleared three rounds gave my media bytes and did not get selected on the fourth round but I did not lose hope I was happy that I at least tried and I got to learn so many things here before I could even reach home.
I got a call from FDCI team and they said they are considering me and they want to be on board and I was the only plus-size model to walk for lotus India fashion week to imbibe inclusivity selected amongst around 700-800 young girls in Pan India auditions.
I walked for the 4-day fashion show in Delhi it was a different experience altogether the adrenaline Rush the goosebumps the feeling of walking the ramp in front of thousands of people and going live online globally at the same time when the audience does not expect a plus-size woman entering the ramp.
So when these young girls zero size models would walk the ramp and suddenly from the back wings plus-size model would enter the whole crowd would go berserk, the applauds the accolades and everything was like it was a different experience everything was mesmerizing.
7. What is your idea of success or your mantra in life?
Well, I am a very simple person so my mantra also is very simple in life.
- Believe in yourself.
- Have confidence in yourself.
- Trust yourself you are better than many many other people out there you have it in you to go towards success & if you are hardworking if the fire is ignited at the right time in the right place success is going to be yours.
Mantra: Hard Work Can't Be Replaced, There Are No Shortcuts to Success.
8. What does your typical workday look like?
My typical workday is like getting up at 5 in the morning and going to the set to shoot at Madh. Shoot the whole day and after pack up, I am straight home with my family that's all.
They are the days when I am not shooting I go to meetings give interviews giving media bytes working for the social media things and of course catching up with friends and family.
9. For a complete outsider with no inroads, what advice would you like to give?
Today the world has become very small with social media and so many events and platforms were given to young talent across the globe reaching or entering the industry have become very easy.
There are a lot of casting directors lot of coordinator the only thing is that you have to be confident you have to know your craft well and just be at the right place at the right time.
Film & Tv Actor, Plus-size model,body positivity influencer, Host & Mentor.
India's first plus model to walk Lotus India fashion week to imbibe inclusivity
Walked for India's first plus-size intimate fashion show
The face of India's first lifestyle campaign for plus size
The face of Badass Nations, Ageless Talent
Awarded Global Diva Plus Size Ambassador with United Nations support for SDG in India
Hosts talk shows for plus size community.
Done National & International award-winning films, TV Commercials, TV serials, Web series etc
Currently in Sony TV show. Ishq Par Zor Nahi.
Interviewed By: Farhana Khatoon
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