Supermodel Ujjwala Raut’s laughter is a full-throated one. One that’s genuinely joyful. And, our long chat with her about her stellar career is punctuated by many such moments. When Ujjwala speaks about her daughter, Ksha, outgrowing her. Or, she leaving Mumbai as a young adult to pursue a modelling career that would take her all over the world, noticeably Paris, Milan, London and New York. A more-than-two-decade journey that has seen Ujjwala work with Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent, Roberto Cavalli, Valentino, Chanel, Bottega, Givenchy, Elie Saab, Oscar de la Renta, Dior, Armani, Hugo Boss, Dolce & Gabbana, Tom Ford, Victoria’s Secret, Pat McGrath and many more. Her grace, charm and power poise on the ramp lend her a distinct edge. She wants her work to speak for itself and is currently planning to start a grooming academy, even as her daughter, who’s just signed with Ujjwala’s agency in Milan, gets ready to take the plunge. And, Ujjwala is prepared for an encore. Excerpts.

What do you do to look the way you do?!

My daughter turned 18 and she is as tall as me. I don’t want her to get any taller because I tell her: ‘Babe, none of my shoes and clothes will fit you! (Laughs) So, you can’t grow taller than me!’ So, you should ask me what I don’t do! (Laughs)

I am a Maratha and a Kshatriya and it plays a massive role. So, genetics. From both my mom’s and dad’s sides, everybody is genetically strong and fit, with sharp features. Thank God, I was blessed with all that. And, I just lead a very active life. That is like a massive cardio, I feel. (Laughs) By being active, you get the most amount of energy. Then I love my yoga. A lot of people gained weight during Covid because they were idle. I also gained weight, but then I took up running and my body remembers very fast. But as you age, you have to watch.

Living in Paris and New York, I would constantly take trains and do 10-15 appointments a day, just walking. Then, of course, as you start working a lot, you have a car and then the gym comes in. I didn’t grow up going to the gym. I was into sports at school and then there was ghar ka kaam, cooking, grocery. Whenever the house help didn’t show up, we had to do the chores. We eat well and I don’t drink. I am not saying I didn’t try it... I also don’t smoke. I also don’t drink sodas and don’t really eat outside that much. My stomach rejects things. I don’t eat red meat or beef or pork. I love my machhi and dal. I like sushi. I take sprouts and not so much dairy like cheese. I can have fruits in the morning or sometimes cereal, an omelette and that will last me for a while.

Are you spending more time in Mumbai now?

I want to be more in India. My daughter is studying in London. She comes to see me and I am taking more work and spending more time at home, seeing my parents. I had to leave at 18 and I never thought that it would be this long (laughs). Every time I come, people are like: ‘How long are you here?’ People think we should always be busy and doing something, otherwise, life is worthless. Hai na? I am like: ‘I am not doing anything. Just sitting and chilling’. (Laughs) I spend less time in the US now because I feel the US has changed tremendously after Covid. Now that my daughter is not there in school or college, I definitely don’t enjoy being in New York any more, like I used to.

Did you always want to become a model?

Not at all (laughs). I didn’t know the A,B,C,D of modelling. I had three older sisters. My two older sisters went to Parle College and my third sister and I were in Gokhale College. My dad was the assistant commissioner of police. So, we were very scared of dad. I am still scared of my parents. One of my elder sisters, Shubhangi Raut, used to love fashion and would wear jeans and lipstick to college. Wearing lipstick was wearing a lot of make-up back then (laughs). I think it was her vision. She saw an ad in a newspaper of Look of the Year (a pageant). She took me to a local studio and we took some pictures. I was 17. That’s how my journey began. I had just completed F.Y.B.Com and had gone into S.Y.B.Com and then I turned 18.

We saw Madhu Sapre in Miss Universe in 1992. She was the second runner-up. Then there was Sushmita Sen and Aishwarya Rai in 1994. You saw whatever was televised. Apart from that there was nothing magazine-wise or an agency. It was a different world. We only got a Marathi newspaper at home.

I was a fast learner though and people in the industry guide you and you gain experience, but it takes time. From doing couture in Paris at 18 with Ungaro, Karl Lagerfeld and starting to shoot for French magazines and travelling in Europe and not having too much make-up.... I’ve always had the body and the face, so there was not much that you need to do when you have the material to work with. They liked that I didn’t know everything. They can then mould you. You are not supposed to know everything. It changes from designer to designer and photographer to photographer. Not one thing works for everyone.

Your CV is enviable...

There are steps that you have to climb. I did YSL’s last show in 2002. And then Tom Ford booked me for YSL because Yves Saint Laurent had Indian and African girls and he wanted to retain that.... Yes, you are working with the best people and wearing the best stuff, but you are working and you don’t have the time to get star-struck. You go to the show a few hours early and there is a lot to be done and then you have to run to the next one... it’s a machine and it’s the same on the shoot.

Nothing happens without hard work and that is how I would have wanted it. I have earned it... but this is also a business where you have to be young. In your 30s and 40s, you might be doing other things, but you make so many relationships and it opens so many doors. I know people worldwide. There is a massive team which helps you get there. You don’t get there by yourself.

I used to work with Ungaro every day. He would make the couture pieces on me.... It was the same with Chanel and Karl Lagerfeld. They would always talk about India. They knew that India played a massive role in the fashion industry because of the karigari, embroidery and fabrics, our culture, how women wore saris and the bindi, kajal, the jewellery.... We only understand our culture more when we are not in India because we take it for granted in India. Many of the foreign photographers would travel to India. They were so happy to see a girl from India... and they did not want me to go back!

Tell us about your Victoria’s Secret experience...

There used to be two shows... one at 4 and one at 7 and there would be multiple fittings and we didn’t know that it would become so huge. It was a bunch of hot, really good girls from all over the world who had that personality who got to do Victoria’s Secret. You have to be on the top to do that show. It was a great experience. Big teams. There are parties after the show, in New York. It’s nice to be the only Indian to have walked the VS. It makes me proud, but it is also your kismet.

Do you believe in destiny, then?

Absolutely. I never thought in my wildest dreams that I would win Look of the Year. Maybe my stars were aligned to cross it all so smoothly.