In conversation with Sandeep Kumar, the president of Mister Model Worldwide competition

After successfully organizing the first ever international modelling competition for women in India and that even with a record-breaking participation from over 43 nations in the inaugural edition of the event; the Rubaru Group under the leadership of its president, Sandeep Kumar is all set to organize the very first international modelling competition for men in India this December. The name of this first ever international model hunt contest headquartered in India is Mister Model Worldwide. The motto of the competition has been kept “Muscles with Intellect”. The event will commence on December 16^th of this year (2018) and the grand finale of this international extravaganza is scheduled to take place on December 22, 2018 in the national capital city of New Delhi.

Let us know more about this fashion and culture exchange international model hunt event straight from the founder and president of the Rubaru Group, the parent organization of Mister Model Worldwide competition, Mr Sandeep Kumar in this exclusive interview with Misterology.

Q1. First of all, many congratulations to you for successfully organizing the Miss Supermodel Worldwide contest earlier this year and that even with a record-breaking participation from over 43 nations in the inaugural edition. How does it feel? Were you expecting something like this to happen?
Sandeep Kumar: Thank you so much for these warm wishes. It indeed felt great when we received such a great response in the inaugural edition of Miss Supermodel Worldwide. I am very grateful to the national directors from all over the world who came forward; showed faith in me and sent their nations’ delegates to the competition in India that concluded earlier this year. We were expecting a decent number of candidates to show up as it was going to be the first edition of the pageant and gradually it went up to 43. So, it was a bit unexpected however, I am so happy that we received so much appreciation and best wishes for our inaugural event. I am hoping to have the same for Mister Model Worldwide as well. 

Q2. From organizing a regional male model hunt competition with the name Rubaru Mr Bahadurgarh (that later blossomed and became Rubaru Mister India) in earlier years to organizing an international modelling event, Mister Model Worldwide, that is also going to the first of its kind to happen in India. How would you describe the journey that you have covered from Rubaru Mr Bahadurgarh to Mister Model Worldwide?
Sandeep Kumar: Fruitful, if I would have to sum up everything in one word. Plus, it is not just the journey that I have covered or the road that I have walked, it is the journey that my team has covered with me as well. If they would not have been with me, I do not think that I could have made it this far. I glad that I have such an amazingly supportive team members who have been with me no matter what the situation was so I am really grateful to them. Over the years, I have learnt various new things and have met so many wonderful and influential people who contributed to the growth of Rubaru Group and also helped in making what I am today. There are several differences between organizing a regional level event or a national level event in comparison to an international event. During the international events, you get the opportunity to meet people from different parts of the world and get to know about their culture, that is something I find really fascinating. This journey has bestowed me with numerous accolades and honours and I have also learnt various lessons that I life has taught me. I would not say, I never encountered any failures in this entire process however, I took every failure as a new lesson and every challenge as a new opportunity to discover new things about me and it also  helped in knowing my potential. For me success is like a never-ending journey as there is so much to achieve in this beautiful world that it is nearly impossible to predict what the destination would be.

Q3. The motto of the competition is “Muscles with Intellect”. Tell us more about it.
Sandeep Kumar: The motto describes what the pageant stands for and how the titleholder should be. For us, we are not just looking for a handsome face or a Greek-God like physique to be our winner; we want someone with whom people could connect. No matter where he goes or what event he attends, he must be able to leave a positive impression there. I agree with the saying that “what pleases the eye, goes straight to the heart” however that thing is just for an instant. A person’s personality imparts a much bigger impact on others rather than his / her superficial attributes. Of course, looks matter and our winner would be attending a series of fashion events and walking down the runway at fashion shows after his win as it is a model hunt competition however looks are not the only parameter on which the winner would be decided. Personality and attitude would play a much higher role. For next one year (at least) he is going to be the face of the pageant and would somehow also represent the Rubaru Group internationally. Our organization supports various causes and the major one of those is Women Empowerment which tackles sensitive issues like domestic violence, female infanticide and foeticide. We want a man who has equal empathy for people from all over the world and who respects women, as here in India, we worship women as goddess and call her “Shakti” which means strength. In my opinion, a real man could never hurt any woman, be it emotionally or physically. So, our winner would work to create awareness on these issues. Also, we are trying to make some efforts to provide a better life to the less fortunate and downtrodden children. It is one of the latest causes that we have started to support and we hope that would surely succeed, may be not immediately however certainly.

Q4. What qualities do you believe the winner of Mister Model Worldwide must possess?
Sandeep Kumar: He must be a 21^st century gentlemen who must have same amount of empathy for people belonging to different parts of the world. Like I mentioned earlier, looks do matter as it is a modelling competition so, like every profession or institution has its prerequisites, this one has too. However, we are looking for something more than that and that is ‘personality’. The way he behaves when he is not in front of the camera, that’s what counts. Somebody who could serve as a role model for the youth and someone who captures the hearts of people not just because he looks good however, deep down he has an equally good-looking heart (“Smiles”). He must be capable of leaving a positive impact on people he meets no matter, if he meets them at any fashion event or any media event or in day to day life. I would not say, that the winner needs to be like a saint, however he must be the nearest image or representation of a perfect gentleman as I believe that nothing is perfect in this world.

Q5. How are the preparations going on for the inaugural edition of Mister Model Worldwide?
Sandeep Kumar: The preparations are going on in full swing. I and my team are trying everything that is possible to make the inaugural edition as extravagant as we can. From making the arrangements for the pre-pageant actives to deciding the format of the show, almost everything has been done. We are giving a final touch to what we have done and looking for the options to make them even better. The accommodation, transport, preliminary events, fashion shows, grooming workshops etc. have all been planned too. All we want is that all the candidates and the guests who would attend the event take back home a pleasant memory with them. We want them to have great time and to the future winner, we are eagerly waiting to welcome you to the Rubaru family.

Q6. This year (2018), Rubaru Mister India pageant celebrated its fifteenth edition in Goa. How do you feel about that? It has been 15 years and your pageant has become the foremost male pageant in India. What would you like to say about that?
Sandeep Kumar: I am really happy that the pageant has received such a great response and it is being loved and appreciated by people. Our winners have received so much support from their well-wishers that it has boosted their confidence to perform even better and give their best. 15 years, I would not say it was like a beautiful dream as I prefer to live in reality and it has taken a lot of hard work and dedication to make the pageant what it is today and seeing how well it is growing and getting recognition, that is indeed very satisfying. These 15 amazing years are not simply 15 years for me, they are 15 years of celebration, 15 years of dedication, 15 years of hard work, 15 years of glitz and glamour, 15 years of Rubaru Mister India. It is much more than just these figures for me that is very hard to express in words. I would like to thank all the winners of Rubaru Mister India over the years, you guys have been exceptionally amazing and a big thanks to my entire team of Rubaru Group.

Q7. At last, any message for the readers and well-wishers.
Sandeep Kumar: First of all, thank you so much guys for taking out some time from your schedule and reading this interview. Thank you Misterology for being an amazing support system. To all the well-wishers, thank you for supporting us and being with us throughout this journey and making its our journey rather than mine. It is because of the support and love that we have received from you that we have made it this far and it inspires us to do even better each day. So, thank you very much.