Meet Malisha Kharwa, a teen from the slums of Mumbai who is now the face of a luxury beauty brand

She is 15 years old and a resident of Dharavi slum in Mumbai. But Malisha Kharwa has always had big dreams. And they came true when she became the face of luxury beauty brand Forest Essentials’ new campaign, ‘The Maiden Collection’. Malisha’s story is an inspirational one and it shows the youth that dreams can come true, even from less-privileged backgrounds, regardless of their surroundings.

Who is Malisha Kharwa?

Malisha is a resident of Dharavi, Mumbai. Her life changed when ‘Step Up 2’ actor Robert Hoffman spotted her. The Hollywood actor created a ‘Go Fund Me’ page to support Malisha’s dream. The page highlights their challenges in the slums, which include lack of food, water and proper shelter during the monsoon season.

Today Kishori has 3.2 lakh followers on Instagram. Maleesha often uses the hashtag, #princessfromtheslum, in her posts and her Instagram bio reads: ‘People say I live in a slum but I love my life! I hope to become a supermodel to help my family eat. In fact, in one of her interviews to a website, Malisha admits that she gets surprised when people ask how she is so happy despite coming from a poor background and loving her life and adventure.

Malisha has now done several modeling gigs and has also featured in a short film called “Live Your Fairytale”. But becoming the face of ‘Forest Essentials’ was a dream come true. In April, the brand shared a video of Malisha entering a store and seeing her face on a poster. Along with the video, the brand captioned: “Her face lit up with pure joy. To see her dreams unfold in front of her. Maleesha’s story is a beautiful reminder that dreams really do come true.”

Dreams Come True: The Inspiring Journey of Malisha

‘Slum Princess’: Dream of becoming a supermodel

In her interviews, Malisha has mentioned that she wants to be a supermodel when she grows up but education is her priority now. Kishori is also a big fan of Priyanka Chopra Jonas and admires Nora Fatehi’s dancing skills. Ever since the brand shared her video in April, Malisha has experienced a wave of love from across the country. But there have also been some hate messages. But in one of her Instagram video interviews, Malisha sent a message to the trolls – she said that she is 90% sure they hate her but she is 100% sure they don’t care.

Also read: Who is Anil Jaisinghani, who tried to blackmail and extort Rs 10 crore from Amruta Fadnavis?