Maleesha Kharwa is an Indian model, internet personality and influencer who rose to prominence after becoming the face of luxury beauty brand Forest Essentials’ new advertising campaign for its cosmetics line “Yuvati Selection”. Calva is famous for his rags-to-riches story.
Wiki/Biography
Maleesha Kharwa was born on Sunday, January 13, 2008 (age 15 years 2023). Her zodiac sign is Capricorn. She lives in Dharavi, a suburb of Mumbai in Maharashtra. As of 2023, she is studying in class 10th in a local government-run school in Mumbai.
Maleesha Kharwa childhood photos
appearance
Height (approximately): 5′3″
Weight (approximately): 45kg
Hair color: light gray brown
Eye color: dark brown
Body measurements (approximately): 30-28-30
Maleesha Kharwa poses for a photo shoot
family and caste
She belongs to a Hindu Kalva family in Mumbai.
Parents and siblings
Her father’s name is Mukesh Kalwa and her brother’s name is Sahil Kalwa. Her father is a cartoon mascot. According to Malesa, her mother was not in the photo and she even revealed in an interview that she did not want to talk about her.
Maleesha Kharwa with her father, brother and American actor Robert Hoffman
Profession
Dharavi discovers potential
In 2020, American actor Robert Hoffman, who was stranded in India at the onset of the pandemic, met Maleesha in Mumbai when she and her family came to Robert’s set looking for work and background work actor. Robert was immediately attracted to Maleesha’s story, her good academic record, and her potential to become an excellent model and dancer. Thereafter, he became her manager and, with the consent of her family, began sharing videos of her on social media; the photos were well received by many viewers, who praised her beauty.
Robert Hoffman and Maleesha Kharwa appear in news articles
“I love my home”
Robert created a GoFundMe page for Maleesha to help Maleesha share her story and ask for donations. The description of the GoFundMe page reads:
In order to survive in the city, my family and I worked part-time jobs to make money. Sometimes my family would go to TV and movie sets hoping to be cast as background actors. This is how I became interested in becoming a professional child model! There are many jobs, such as children’s clothing catalogs, that I might be involved in! I feel very lucky to have this opportunity to have your help. With your help, I may be able to study with peace of mind in a dry and safe place and pursue my dreams. Many of my favorite actresses began following their hearts as children. “
Screenshot of Maleesha’s GoFundMe page created by Robert Hoffman
Malaisha lives in a shelter home in Mumbai’s Bandra slum. In an interview, she spoke of the hardships her family faced and said they felt it was a luxury to have two good meals a day. On the GoFundMe page, Maleesha described her story and revealed her living conditions, especially during the monsoon season, saying:
The only thing I didn’t like was that a lot of the time my brother and I didn’t have enough to eat and it was hard to drink water. Also, in a month’s time, the monsoon is coming. It’s hard to sleep when it rains because we don’t have a roof. We use plastic tarps, but the winds can be very strong during monsoon season. People often ask me if living in the ghetto makes me sad, a question that always confuses me because I love my home so much! This is where I live. “
Photos of Maleesha Kharwa’s home in slums
From Prada to Nada, but in reverse!
Maleesha’s story attracted the attention of multiple media outlets after it went viral around the world. She started modeling at the age of 12 and when she started earning money, she and her family left the slums of Bandra and moved to a 1BHK room. In 2021, she starred in the short film Live Your Fairytale directed by Arsala Qureishi and Jas Sagu. The film is based on the true experiences of five ghetto children, including Marisa, who went to a restaurant for the first time in their lives.
Poster of the short film “Live Your Fairytale” (2021)
Maleesha has won the hearts of people around the world – all thanks to Robert Hoffman, who has appeared in TV commercials and print ads for several popular brands. She has been featured in many well-known publications, including Vogue, Grazia, Cosmopolitan and Peacock Magazine.
(L-R); Sameera Reddy, Maleesha Kharwa and Kusha Kapila in Cosmopolitan magazine’s 2022 feature
In 2023, Maleesha was approached by luxury beauty brand Forest Essentials with the opportunity to be the face of Forest Essentials’ new advertising campaign “Yuvati Selection”.
Maleesha Kharwa, the face of Forest Essentials’ new ad campaign, appears on its official website
Favorites
- School subjects: English
- Song: Tu Aake Dekhle by King
Facts/Trivia
- At the age of five, she decided to become a dancer and model.
- Maleesha is the first child in her family to go to school.
- Several media outlets dubbed Maleesha the “princess from the slums.”
- Maleesha has always maintained good academic performance in school. According to her, doing well in school made her father happy. Robert Hoffman is helping Maleesha Kharwa get an education. While expressing her gratitude to the well-wishers, Maleesha said;
This is my most important work to date and it has changed my life dramatically. I want to be a model, but education will always come first for me. “
- Her favorite subject in school is English and it is the language she enjoys speaking.
- Maleesha wants to study and pursue the performing arts.
- Indian photographer Gopal Kawde asked Maleesha’s agent and father for permission to photograph her. Afterwards, Maleesha posed in front of a professional camera for the first time in her life.
Maleesha Kharwa’s first photo taken by photographer Gopal Kawde
- In an interview, when asked which Bollywood celebrity she would like to be best friends with forever, Marisa said “Nora Fatehi”; She further added that she admires Nora Fathi’s dancing skills.
- Maleesha loves getting ready for the shoot and finds it fun when artists apply makeup to her face.
One of the photos taken by Maleesha Kharwa
- Mira Kulkarni, founder and chief managing director of Forest Essentials, spoke about Forest Essentials in an interview and said that Maleesha’s dream is being supported through its activities. She further added,
Through the Yuvati Series, we are not only supporting Maleesha’s dream but also contributing to the Paathshala project to empower the youth. The brand will donate 10% of the proceeds from Yuvati Selection to Project Paathshala to provide children from poor families with access to education in the hope that India will become a brighter place. While Maleesha is the face of the campaign, Forest Essentials delivers the concept of a dream. The undercurrent here is that no matter where you come from, no matter how big or small your dreams are, dreams belong to everyone and all dreams matter. “
- As of May 2023, she has more than 245,000 followers on Instagram.
- Maleesha has been offered roles in two Hollywood films.
- Maleesha’s dance classes are sponsored by Danceworx Academy of Performing Arts Bandra Studio.
- In 2023, she used her own money to buy a brand new phone and shared the news with her Instagram followers.
Maleesha Kharwa announces purchase in Instagram post
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education