From hanging around the streets of Budgam, Kashmir, giving fashion tips to his friends to today being one of the top models in the country and also starring in his first Tollywood film Sankarabharanam, Rouhallah Gazi has come a long way. Now, in Telangana State and Andhra Pradesh he’s recognised as “Saleem Bhai” his character in the Nikhil-starrer film. His decision to move to Bengaluru in 2009 landed him a job in the modeling industry. “I was working as a medical assistant in a hospital when I was spotted by Prasad Bidappa. Offers started pouring in and as I have always been interested in modeling and the fashion industry I gave it a try,” says Gazi.
Since then, there has been no looking back. “I have been living in Mumbai for the past five years. I have walked for top designers like Sabyasachi, Christian Louboutin, Shantanu and Nikhil, J.J. Vallaya and others. But I have been very picky about my work and maybe that’s why I have built a good portfolio for myself,” he says. Talking about how his role in Sankarabharanam got him recognition, he says, “I remember when we went around for promotions people were calling me “Saleem Bhai”. From people not knowing my name, to being recognised everywhere, the journey has been unreal.”
And all of this recognition for a guy who had not been inside a theatre for the first 20 years of his life. “There are no theatres in Budgam, we used to watch movies when they would air on TV. My family still hasn’t seen my film. Maybe I will get them to Mumbai soon and make them watch it,” he says. Talking about his days back in Kashmir, Gazi says, “I remember I had even got a few test shoots done in Kashmir. But for me to accomplish something, I had to get out of there because there’s no place for fashion and modeling in Kashmir.” From the snow-filled streets of Kashmir to spending hot summers in Hyderabad, Gazi believes that he has accomplished a lot, but this is just the start. “I want to work with bigger stars like Mahesh Babu. This is just the beginning for me,” he says.
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