Ever since she was a six-year-old, Rochelle Rao has been smitten by the modelling industry. And taking one firm step at a time, this young sassy babe is ensuring that she fulfills her dream of becoming a successful model.

     Rochelle Rao

Today, Rochelle is amongst the 20 most beautiful women in the country, and is all set to impress the judges in the final rounds of the Miss India pageant.

Rochelle, who has been undergoing rigorous training sessions with Ajith Sigamani, says, “I got a taste of what the pageant will be like when I participated in the Miss India South contest. So I was mentally prepared.”

From giving up all her favourite food to working out several hours in a day, Rochelle has taken it upon herself to sport a fab bod. “I am a foodie by nature,” she says. “But since December, I’ve had to give up all the food I really love. Though when someone looks at me and compliments me, I feel all this training is really worth it!”

Rochelle is no stranger to the profession. Be it TV shows or ramp walks, she’s a familiar face. “I’ve been in this profession for many years, but it was only in the first few rounds that I realised there were so many things I didn’t know. Unlike in Mumbai or Delhi, for models in Chennai the exposure is not up to the mark. <strong>I had to unlearn so many things. Prasad Bidappa and Marc Robinson were both extremely helpful in training m</strong>e!”

She adds, “Be it physically or even in the way I think, I can feel the development in myself. And I am loving this change!”

Considering all the challenges that she has faced in the profession, Rochelle has managed to learn from them and survive, despite all odds. “I am a Christian and being in this profession was looked down upon! But I knew that this was what I was born to do and I love my profession. I also realised that if people pass negative comments, it probably means they’re jealous and the best thing to do is to just ignore them!”

Rochelle explains that it is so easy to be carried away by all the glitz and attention — she’s had to mend several errors that she’d committed because of that.

“I used to be cocky. I had an attitude problem. But I soon realised that once you’re off the stage, you have to respect society. There are people who have seen it all and you owe them the credit.

Even if it’s a tea boy on the sets of a show, you must give him the respect he deserves. I’ve always had to go back to the people I misbehaved with and apologise. Being humble is one of the biggest lessons this profession has taught me!”

The pretty model is readying for the next round, which is likely to be in March. She says, “Rehane is already working on some of my clothes.

And I am lucky that some of the best in this profession including Sidney Sladen, Chaitanya Rao and Sunil Menon are helping me throughout!”

source: http://www.DeccanChronicle.com / Home> TABLOID> Glam Sham / by Srinidhi Rajagopal / DC/ Chennai / February 14th, 2012