Maleesha Kharwa is an Indian model, internet personality, and influencer who rose to fame after she became the face of the luxury beauty brand Forest Essentials’ new campaign ‘The Yuvati Collection.’ Kharwa has become renowned for her rags-to-riches narrative.
Wiki/Biography
Maleesha Kharwa was born on Sunday, 13 January 2008 (age 15 years; as of 2023) Her zodiac sign is Capricorn. She lives in Dharavi, a suburb of Mumbai in Maharashtra. As of 2023, she is studying in the 10th standard at a local government-run school in Mumbai.
A picture of Maleesha Kharwa from when she was a baby
Physical Appearance
Height (approx.): 5′ 3″
Weight (approx.): 45 kg
Hair Colour: Light Ash Brown
Eye Colour: Dark Brown
Body Measurements (approx.): 30-28-30
Maleesha Kharwa posing during a photoshoot
Family & Caste
She belongs to a Hindu Kharwa family in Mumbai.
Parents & Siblings
Her father’s name is Mukesh Kharwa, and her younger brother’s name is Sahil Kharwa. Her father works as a cartoon mascot. According to Maleesha, her mother is not in the picture and she revealed in an interview that she did not want to talk about her.
Maleesha Kharwa with her father, brother, and American actor Robert Hoffman
Career
Talent Spotted at Dharavi
In 2020, when American actor Robert Hoffman, who was stranded in India at the exact time the pandemic struck the nation, saw Maleesha at a beach in Mumbai. Robert, who came to India to shoot a music video, had cast Alisha, who is Maleesha’s cousin long before he saw Maleesha and her potential of becoming an aspiring model and dancer. Robert was instantly drawn toward Maleesha’s stories, good academic scores, focus on her studies, and dreams. Thereafter, he became her agent and began sharing videos of her on social media with her family’s consent; the pictures, which received a lot of good responses from the viewers who complimented her for her beauty.
Robert Hoffman and Maleesha Kharwa featured in a news article
“I love my home”
Robert created a GoFundMe page for Maleesha where he helped Maleesha share her story and asked for donations.
In order to survive in the city, my family and I undertake odd jobs to make money. Sometimes my family will go to TV and movie sets hoping to get picked as background actors. This is how I got interested in becoming a professional child model! There are many jobs like children’s clothing catalogues which I could potentially get cast in! I feel that I have been blessed with this chance to gain your help. With your help, I may be able to study with a dry and safe place lay my head as I pursue my dream. A lot of my favorite actresses started when they were kids by following their heart.”
A screenshot of Maleesha’s GoFundMe page created by Robert Hoffman
Maleesha lives in one of the shelters in a slum of Bandra, Mumbai. In an interview, she talked about the hardships her family faces and said that they consider it a luxury if they get to eat two good meals in a day. On the GoFundMe page, Maleesha described her story and revealed her living conditions, especially during the monsoon season.
The only thing I don’t like is that many times my brother and I don’t have enough to eat, and it can be hard for me to get water. Also, in a month, the monsoons will come. It’s hard for us to sleep when it rains because we do not have a roof. We use a plastic tarp, but the winds can be very strong in the Monsoon season. People often ask me if living in a slum makes me sad, and this question always confuses me because I love my home so much! Here is where I live.”
A picture of Maleesha Kharwa’s home in slum
Prada to Nada-but-the other way around!
After Maleesha’s story went viral worldwide, she grabbed the attention of several media houses. She began modeling at the age of 12 and when she started earning money, she moved to a 1BHK room with her family, leaving the slum, in Bandra. Maleesha was then approached by Forest Essentials, a luxury beauty brand, and was given the opportunity to become the face of Forest Essentials’ new campaign ‘The Yuvati Collection.’
Maleesha Kharwa, face of Forest Essentials’ new campaign, featured on their official website
In 2021, she was featured in a short film titled Live Your Fairytale directed by Arsala Qureishi and Jas Sagu. The film was based on the real-life experience of five slum children who visited a restaurant for the first time in their lives.
Poster of the short film Live Your Fairytale (2021)
Maleesha, who has won several hearts of people worldwide- all thanks to Robert Hoffman, has appeared in several TV commercials and print ads for popular brands. She has been featured in a number of prominent publication houses including Cosmopolitan and The Peacock Magazine.
(From left to right); Sameera Reddy, Maleesha Kharwa, and Kusha Kapila featured in Cosmopolitan magazine in 2022
Favourites
- Subject in school: English
- Song: Tu Aake Dekhle by King
Facts/Trivia
- When she was five years old, she decided that she wanted to become a dancer and model.
- Maleehsa is the first child in her family who attended school.
- Several media houses refer to Maleesha as “The Princess From The Slum.”
- Maleesha has maintained a good academic record in school. According to her, getting good grades in school makes her father very happy. Robert Hoffman is aiding Maleesha Kharwa’s education ever since she has been associated with Forest Essentials. While expressing her gratitude towards her well-wishers, Maleesha said,
This is my biggest job till date, and it has changed my life so much. I want to be a model, but education will always come first for me.”
- Her favorite subject is English, a language she loves talking in.
- Maleesha wants to study and pursue performing arts.
- Maleesha has several role models in the Bollywood industry but considers Priyanka Chopra as the first model who inspired her.
- Maleesha loves getting ready for photoshoots and also finds it amusing when the artists apply makeup on her face.
One of Maleesha Kharwa’s pictures from a photoshoot
- In an interview, Mira Kulkarni, founder and chief managing director of Forest Essentials, talked about Forest Essentials and said that Maleesha’s dreams are being supported through its campaign. She further added,
Through our Yuvati collection, we are not only supporting Maleesha’s dreams but also contributing to Project Paathshala to empower young minds. The brand will donate 10% of the proceeds from the Yuvati Selection towards Project Paathshala to provide children from underprivileged backgrounds access to education with the hope of a brighter India. While Maleesha is the face of this campaign, what Forest Essentials is bringing to the forefront is the idea of dreams. The undercurrent here is that no matter where you come from, how big or small your dream is, dreams are for everyone, and all dreams matter.”
- As of May 2023, she has more than 245K followers on Instagram.
- Maleesha has been offered to act in two Hollywood films.
- Maleesha is sponsored by the Danceworx Academy in Bandra for her dance classes.
- In 2023, she bought a brand new mobile phone with her own money and shared the news with her Instagram followers.
Maleesha Kharwa announcing her purchase in an Instagram post