Newly-crowned Grasim Mr India 2005 is clear about his next move. He wants to use his title to achieve more in life

Viraf Patel’s life changed on January 29 this year. The 24-year-old who works in the Indian merchant navy was crowned Grasim Mr India 2005 in Mumbai.

He does not talk of bringing about world peace and is clear that the title is a stepping stone into the Indian film industry. However, Patel manages to keep his feet well grounded as he never stops talking about the influence his elder brothers have had on him and exudes a maturity and modesty that is rare.

Patel’s politeness and courtesy were clearly not a result of the pageant’s hangover but stemmed out of a solid foundation of family ties, realistic ambition and determination to excel.

In an interview with Tabloid, Patel reveals his future plans but is certain that his days at sea are far from over.

Tabloid: How has life changed in the past couple of weeks?
Patel: Before participating in the Grasim contest, winning the title was the main challenge, but now I’m faced with greater challenges to make sure that I use it and achieve more in life.

The idea is to tell the world that this is Viraf Patel and this is his talent package.

I really want to continue to make my parents proud of me and make sure that I never let my family down in any aspect.

Do you suddenly find yourself answering more phone calls from women?
(Laughs) Well, that’s a human thing and the most natural reaction, but I’m just taking things as they go and not paying any extra attention to any single aspect of the consequences of the title.

When you say that you want to show the world your talent package, do you mean that the ultimate goal is to work in movies?
Yes of course. That is the main idea. Having said that I still need to work on many aspects before I get to the level when I’m ready to face a rolling camera.

What sort of aspects?
My diction, dancing, acting. I can speak Hindi fluently but I’m working on my Urdu and my intonation. In this process of training I also intend to circulate within the industry and do some quality ramp work in order to get noticed.

So the idea is to basically reach a position where people are ready to give me a chance.

For some reason the Mr Indias never make it quite as big as their Miss India counterparts. Why do you think this is the case?
The Grasim Mr India title is, to my knowledge, the most prestigious title for men in India. I think it’s one of the oldest and most complete contests as it gives equal importance to looks and personality.

The idea of a Mr India is still growing and I’ve noticed this in the contest itself. I took part last year and made it to the finals but couldn’t participate as I had to go to sea. When I returned to take part this year I already noticed that the contestants were being scrutinised even more and that the contest had evolved a great deal in just a year.

There were more parameters that went into the selection and it’s quite rigorous as from 15,000 entries they have zonal selections and then it comes down to 500 from which only 28 make it to the last level.

So do you bid farewell to your days as a sailor?
I’m not too familiar with the exact working of the merchant navy but I’ve been with them on contract for five years out of which I was at sea for 36 months.

My years and experience with them is what played a big role in shaping me as an individual today. The kind of exposure I had through my travels at such a young age was quite phenomenal so I will always go back if I’m called.

At the same time I have this title so there are a lot of possibilities and I’m quite sure that I can work between both but once a sailor you’re always a sailor.

There’s a popular perception that winners or even participants in pageants are less intellectual than the norm. What’s your opinion?
(Laughs) Then those people should just watch the pageant and I’m sure they will change their mind.

There are some contests that pitch themselves as purely looks oriented but this and a few others are quite clear that they’re about the overall personality of the individual and not just the physical appearance.

This is ultimately reflected in the winners.

What sort of preparation did you undertake before the event?
It was mainly physical in terms of getting rid of my love handles and working out to achieve that six-pack. So it began about 18 months before the event and intensified before the day.

In terms of personality I didn’t really have to prepare as I’ve benefited a great deal from being the youngest of three brothers and have learnt a lot from the eldest one, who runs a finishing school in India and my middle brother.

So here’s one last question for Mr India. What do you think is the role of the 21st century man?
I don’t think there is a role that is carved out as such. In the past great men have shown that they don’t do different things but do the same things in a different way. We live in an evolving world and I think all individuals should be open to new values, new ideas, new technologies without compromising on their own that they have through their families. We have to move and accept things as anything is possible.

THE WINNING ANSWERS

The jury panel at the Grasim Mr India 2005 consisted of Fardeen Khan, Priyanka Chopra, Gayatri Joshi, Rocky S, Nandita Sen, Anita Raj, Mandira Bedi and Laura Q.

When Patel was asked by Anita Raj whether he would rather be a successful but bad man or an unsuccessful but good man he replied: “I would choose to be an unsuccessful but good man as success is a perception but goodness is a reality and that’s all that matters.”

That got him into the final round, where he had to write within a minute the answer to a common question: What does the label Made in India mean to you and why?

Patel said: “Made in India to me means a reason. A reason to be proud, a reason to be inspired, a reason to prove to the world that made in india be it a person or product is a force to reckon with, because I am proud to be made in India.”