Tulunadu, for several decades now, has taken immense pride in giving the most talented individuals to the world. And this talent is not restricted to one area. From singers and actors to dancers and artists we have them all.
Adding a feather to the cap, here is another talented individual who has not only made Tulunadu proud but has made a name for himself outside India as well. Meet Manoj Shetty, a sportsman, bodybuilder, model and actor.
His hardwork and efforts have helped this dynamic individual to reach the skies by achieving immense success and popularity in the field of modeling.
Born and brought up in Mangaluru, Manoj has been shining bright as a model in the UAE participating in all major fashion contests and shows, walking the ramps with famous celebrities.
In conversation with News Karnataka, Mr. Manoj Shetty shares his journey and experience in the industry. Having completed his schooling and higher studies in St Aloysius College, Mangalore, Manoj states that he developed qualities of a sportsman while in degree. He even went on to represent the state and the country in athletics and volleyball.
“Some people call it as sports and some as hobby but I considered it as a passion and it attracted towards bodybuilding. A game which needs your dedication, commitment and timeless hard work.” he said.
After tremendous amount of working on his body, Manoj won the title of first runner up at the Mr Dakshina Kannada competition held in 1996. He proved his worth in the same year when he participated in the Mr Karnataka competition and came in as one among the top three positions.
In order to build a career, as most Mangalorean youngsters do, Manoj moved to Dubai and worked as a sales executive at Hilti Emirates.
But as the saying goes, passion never dies. Manoj continued bodybuilding in Dubai and one day his well maintained physique itself opened the door to the fashion industry. After this, Manoj never looked back and he finished all his assignments as model, actor, brand ambassador and performed for various national and international brands.
Speaking about his experiences, he said, “I struggled for almost a year and a half to get good projects, I was not able understand the requirements of the modelling industry. It’s not only looks and physique, it’s all about personality.
As one of the well known models in the gulf, he has modeled for Middle East and atrican agencies such as DIVA modeling, Bare Face Modeling, Take one modeling, Elite Modeling, FLC and many more.
He has also performed with famous fashion industries, for fashion shows, television commercials and print advertisements.
He then went on to work as a performer for fashion shows and designer wares such as Manish Malhotra, Varoin Marwah, STYLE by Gulam Ali, LIBAZ By Riyaz Gangji , Archana Kochhar, Vikram Padnis and several other big names of the fashion industry.
Apart from these achievements Manoj Shetty was also awarded the Best Physique in the Top Male model search 2012-13, 1st runner up of Mr. Dubai 2013-14, Mr. Congeniality of Mr. Dubai 2013-14, Mr. Talent award on the occasion of Mr. Dubai 2013-14 and won a title of BRANDS perfect style event 2014.
Of course, the modeling industry in India and abroad is quite different. Commenting on this, he said, “The Indian market is very huge and a very tough one. you need a God Father, only then can you be recognized in this industry and market”, and added that if anyone is aspiring to be a model they must work hard on themselves and create a personality that will hold good in this industry.
On being questioned as to whether he had tried his hand in acting, he said that he hadn’t done so yet, although, if he gets a good project he will surely think about it.
When asked to inspire a lot of young aspiring models, Manoj said, “Don’t believe any fake promises, which are quite common in this industry. Believe only in your hard work. Because hard work pays”, and added that if anyone needed guidance in this regard they could definitely contact him and he would help as much as he could.
He certainly is a charming personality and an extraordinarily talented Mangalorean. Team NewsKarnataka wishes him all the success in his future endeavours.
The NRI Newsmaker is a section dedicated to recognizing those talented and hardworking individuals who have made a name for themselves in the field they have stepped into. Their efforts may have been gone unrecognized by the masses but they certainly deserve your acclaim. Because as Kannadigas, they have done commendable work and made their state beam with pride.
