Sonia Dara: Academic Ace Sizzles on the Ramp

April 2011
By Kavita Chhibber

A cookie cutter family is how her mother refers to themselves, but thanks to thinking out of the cookie cutter box, by mom and Dad, Sonia Dara is not just acing her way through school, she is one of the hottest teenage models to walk the US and international ramp.

While mom Poornima has family ties to Bollywood back home in India, she went on to become a home-engineer. With Prithipal, an engineer-turned-patent-prosecutor husband and an older daughter Jyothsna who graduated as an industrial engineer out of Georgia Tech, the world of glamor and glitz was the last thing on their mind-until they hit a religious convention in New York and the unconventional happened.

At barely thirteen Sonia was pulled out of a crowd by an agent from the John Robert Powers modeling agency. For those not familiar with the name, in 1923, actor John Robert Powers founded a modeling agency that became the most famous and powerful in the industry. It produced many successful female models that went on to be Hollywood stars. Henry Fonda, Cary Grant too were represented by the agency. To be a “Powers Girl” was equal to winning the lottery to fame and fortune.

The lady asked Sonia if she was a model. When Sonia said she wasn’t she asked if she wanted to be one, and handed her a business card. Wide eyed Sonia went running to mom, who said-put that card away, we are here for a religious convention and that is all there is to it. However everywhere they went people took one look at their tall and pretty teenager and started asking the same thing-was she is a model?”

“I guess we just took another look at her and wondered what are people seeing in her that we can’t seem to figure out? Sonia is seven years younger than our older daughter, so as it is you mother the younger child so much more, and so for us she was just one of our two daughters and the older one is as pretty,” says Poornima. Two years later, Sonia stumbled on the business card she had put away and decided she wanted to give it a shot. She asked if her father would guide her.

“I have to give my husband so much credit that he decided that we ought to get out of our mould-he comes from a family of educated professionals (doctors and educators) , my brother is a lawyer , and my father was a lawyer –turned film exhibitor and distributor , and so he said-let’s do something different with Sonia even though she is an ace student, and President of the Student council among other things,’ says Poornima..

The Agency is a training Academy where they put you through the ropes of different kinds of modeling-yes there are different kinds-and acting as well. Every weekend Sonia was down with her father networking and taking classes. The cost of the 10 week course was close to 3000 dollars but Sonia was offered a partial scholarship because they were so impressed by her potential. This is also a place where you meet people from the industry and casting is held as well.

Sonia walks the ramp

It was while at a runway ramp session that Sonia bumped into a friend whose father was starting his own modeling agency and wanted to sign her up. It was a photographer at the agency who had a lot of connections who sent Sonia’s portfolio to this high profile contest called AMTC (Actors, Models and Talent Competition).

The Daras were still not taking this too seriously and took off for a vacation to India. Poornima had just quit her job and when they returned there was a message from the agency asking them to make Sonia quickly accessible so they could get her ready for the contest.” Sonia was badly tanned and not just that she had mosquito bites all over her body and she just didn’t think she wanted to walk the ramp in a bathing suit covered with bites everywhere!” recalls Poornima. So her husband was asked to call them and tell them Sonia won’t be participating. “I still remember the response the lady gave. She said in life sometimes you get only one chance and I’m giving that chance to Sonia. She may not get it again. Let her come for this competition. They were sponsoring her-usually you have to pay between 5-10 thousand dollars.”

It was only when they went there that they realized what a big deal that contest was. “Reputable agents from the top agencies from all over the world are there,’ says Sonia, who walked the ramp in a “one piece bathing suit”-she says firmly with a smile. “The agency expects you to get at least 4 call backs. I got 15,’ and she has not looked back since then.

There are some very key things to knowing how to model in a safe environment. So what are the areas where red flags should go up? “Firstly the only thing you should pay for is your portfolio and a comp card which has your headshot and a couple of pictures as well as your measurements. If an agency asks you to pay for anything else, the red flag should go up,’ says Sonia. ‘Also if they try to rush you into a contract, or tell you, you cannot bring a chaperone, and it doesn’t matter what age you are, then that too should get your red flag up.”

Sonia with her mother Poornima

Mom Poornima says the single most important thing is to understand that there are a lot of hidden expenses involved and if you are chaperoning your child, you can’t be a working parent. “Our suitcases are always packed at any given time and very often we have to leave for shoots at a very short notice. Luckily things fell into place for me-I had quit my job, my husband had started his own practice and was doing very well and I began assisting him, so I could take time off any time. I pay for my own ticket and food etc when we go for her stints. I have had to rent apartments in New York’s premier locations for weeks and again in Los Angeles and while Sonia made up for it in compensation it still costs a lot. So you have to be prepared for that as well in the early years.”

Academics are a big deal in the family and initially the Daras were not sure if Sonia will be able to manage, and how the school will react to her skipping school, since she was in so many AP classes. “She has proved to us that she can keep her grades up and also do her modeling with equal ease, and we couldn’t have done it without the support of the school and her Principal. In fact they jokingly call her Miss AP whenever she is down in New York, and everyone is very proud of her academic achievements even in the modeling world because there are very few girls who are doing both as well,’ says Poornima.

For those who think there is only glitz and glamor and a lot of money, Sonia has news for you. “There will be places where you’ll be paid peanuts, but you’ll do it because of the exposure you get. For example magazines like Seventeen, Cosmo girl, usually use celebrities on their cover but you really create your own fan following and should do the spread, but you may get paid as little as 150 bucks for that shoot.”

The work can be grueling. “I have had days when I have shot for 9 straight hours going through 45 outfits. People say oh you just have to stand in front of the camera so what’s the big deal? The big deal is that you may have to give a different look, a different angle for each outfit, know how to work the camera and network with your client at the same time so they like you enough to want to repeat you. Also for high fashion modeling you have to live in New York.”

Sonia says she likes doing catalogue modeling because the money is big, but for fun nothing beats the ramp, “because I get to wear clothes I would NEVER buy. Like I walked the ramp for Oscar de la Renta, and wore this coat that cost 50,000 dollars! I would never buy a coat like that, so it was fun modeling it.” Sonia also has strict ground rules and the various agencies she has signed up with are very respectful of that. “ It is in my contract I will not do lingerie, even though the biggest bucks are made if you model for Victoria’s Secret for example, or nude modeling. I also have a deal that my agents will not call me for small assignments during school hours. It can only be after school or weekends.”

Sonia says being of Indian origin has never been an issue where she sensed racism-in fact her first assignment for Cosmo Girl was given to her because she was Indian. There are however very few Indian girls in the modeling world. “ I barely saw a couple when I went to New York and they were commercial models.” There are different types of modeling and each person offers something unique so there is no back biting or competition for the same job, says Sonia. The prerequisites also vary. ‘ For example for commercial ads you can be 5.6 in height and will do okay. To walk the ramp in Atlanta you have to be at least 5.7” in height-in New York you can’t be less than 5.9 or 5.10 or more than 6 feet tall.”

Sonia and her friends

While she has traveled and done international shoots and been part of the glitz and the glamor making great strides in a short span of 2 years, Sonia says her biggest kick still comes when she sees freshmen at her school recognizing her in the hall ways or the bathroom and going all wide eyed and whispering to each other-Isn’t that her? But isn’t she our school President? yes but I think its her in Seventeen and Cosmo Girl! They will then sheepishly come up to her and ask. “It’s really cute. I also think the Cosmo Girl shoot was memorable because it was my first one.”

Poornima says she has had people from the Indian community ask her if she had to pay her agents to take Sonia since she has done so well. “The agents laughed when I told them that. One can stand on one’s head and tell these people your kid is the most gorgeous kid on earth, but if the client doesn’t want you, you aren’t going any where.”

So what is the tip the two want to offer parents who want their kids to try out modeling.

“Do not get your feet wet and then jump back, without doing proper home work,” says Poornima and adds, “Check out the agencies thoroughly, make sure they are credible. But more than that remember you must NEVER thrust your own dreams on your child. They must really want to model and be part of the grind that comes with it. In this field there are no short cuts-your child has to put in 110 percent-and so do you. The agents don’t like to hear ‘No’ too many times, so if your child is a minor, make sure they are doing well academically also, otherwise the school won’t allow them to skip classes.”

Sonia is now headed for college. She has already scored several prestigious scholarships and offered from various local Georgia schools but has to wait till April to hear from all the out of state colleges she has applied to. There are offers coming to act as well. She recently turned down one from Hollywood because it clashed with school-the shooting was to be in the October-November time frame.

Perhaps the best thing about this teenage super achiever is the fact that she has very grounded, level headed parents and while she comes across as very confident, she has her feet firmly planted on the ground as well. She clearly knows that there is a world beyond modeling. Sonia has very clear cut principles that she will not compromise for any amount of cash or glamor- and that is perhaps the most important thing in a world of glitter that thrives on a make believe mirage that can vanish in a moment.

That dignity and integrity is something that truly makes her a role model for every young girl or boy who wants to reach out for the stars.