Morocco-born and Amsterdam raised Ikram, a huge Bollywood fan hopes to work with filmmaker Farah Khan, as this first-time model remains a true Priyanka Chopra admirer.
By Asmita Aggarwal
Moroccan by nature, and bohemian by spirit, this 24-year-old Netherlands (Amsterdam) raised model Ikram is a delight to meet. Honest, insightful and calm, she bowls you over with her straight-forwardness and reveals that even though she started modelling at the age of 16, which was too young she insisted on completing her studies and even when to university to equip herself with a degree in office management to keep a plan B in place.
Frankly, I never thought I would be a model. It all happened by chance when I was asked to model for a friend in college, a student designer. There I met many modelling agents, bagged a contract and there was no looking back, she says.
What Ikram really wanted to do was dance, which she religiously did till modelling took over her life. I think dance is therapeutic, it is like a release and thats what I loved most about it, she admits. Interestingly, this Bollywood movie buff has been consumed with the song-dance routines and elaborate costumes since she was 14. From Kabhi Kabhi to Kal Ho Na Ho, she has savoured films and can even repeat dialogues with ease.
I am a huge Priyanka Chopra fan, I have seen all her films. Besides being pretty, she is also intelligent and has now made a name for herself in Hollywood. I have watched Madhur Bhandarkars film Fashion many times. It truly depicts what happens in modelling today, many people think it is an exaggeration, but what he shows is the stark reality, she confesses.
Travelling all over the world from Milan Fashion Week to Belgium and Germany, Ikram is in India for six months after which she will head to Los Angeles, but she would like to come back here soon and sign a film with Farah Khan. I liked Main Hoon Na, it was a fun film, I admire strong women filmmakers like Farah. Acting remains my final goal as it is ageless unlike modelling, she grins.
With a sister living in Spain, Ikram misses home; she has learnt to handle the many stresses that come with fashion. You are always judged. When I started, I was called too skinny and sometimes it made me feel really insecure. But slowly I trained my mind to handle this and now all the waiting time in between shows for hair and make-up no longer makes me restless, she says.
Even though some days the challenges are mammoth, like 14 hour working days, she says affirmatively, I tell all the girls I work with that nothing is impossible. You gotta dream big and be happy with the little achievements as only that and self-belief will keep you going, she concludes.