Sarita makes her money using her body and can’t tell her sons what she does.
She talks to Upneet Pansare about her life as a nude model in Mumbai
‘Every morning when I leave my house, I make it a point to dress up properly—hair combed neatly and a bag held in place. I want to look like any other woman in my neighbourhood on her way to work. When I reach work, I take off my clothes in front of a class of 50 art students.”
Shocking discovery“It was the thought of my children that made me take up nude modelling. I was 24 years old when I was introduced to the job. My husband had recently died. He used to drink regularly and had been hospitalised twice. The third time, he died of cirrhosis of the liver. Although not much, up until then, his wages had been enough to meet our basic requirements. With him around, there had never been any need for me to work. Besides. I had no skills. I started working in people’s houses as a maid after my husband’s death, but I could never hold any of the jobs for long and spent several days at home, waiting.
“One day, when I was sitting at home, my maasi (aunt) took me to her college to show me what she did for a living. I had always assumed that she was a sweeper there. She took me to a classroom that had a board outside saying no one other than professors and students was allowed to enter. When we went inside, I saw about 30 students seated with canvas boards in front of them, pencils in hand. I followed my maasi on to the stage. Suddenly, she started undressing in front of all those people. Embarrassed and angry, I simply stared at her as she sat demurely on the couch. Then, the students began sketching her. I kept looking at the students, as they observed her with rapt attention, while she sat there, naked and unselfconscious. I tried gauging the students’ reactions, but there were none.
“After a six-hour session, she introduced me to a professor who asked me if I would be interested in working as a model. I was scared and was about to refuse, but my aunt egged me on. Finally, I agreed. I was then asked to undress and imitate my aunt’s pose. Hesitatingly, I took off my clothes. Needless to say, it was embarrassing and I wanted to leave immediately. But I thought about my children and how much I needed the money. I stayed on’
Cramps and drowsiness“Posing nude can get very uncomfortable. I do get breaks in-between, but I often get cramps from sitting in a particular position for hours. I’m almost used to the pain now. I cannot change my position, as it distracts the students. There are times when my head starts drooping when I feel sleepy, but the students promptly wake me up. The worst days are when I have my periods. There have been times when my periods have clashed with important assignments or even exams. I have to put up with it for five days, as I can’t take a break during that time. I sit on a cloth to avoid staining.
But I have always believed that my pain and discomfort should not hinder the students. I think of the students as my children and the fact that they are benefiting from me makes me feel proud. I remember an instance wherein I had to attend the funeral of a relative and hence could not be there for a scheduled class. A peon from the university came to my hut in the slums of Kurla to convince me to report to work. I could have refused, but then I realised that the students would have to miss a day, and many of them came from faraway suburbs. So, I agreed:’
World-famous artists‘I don’t feel self-conscious while posing anymore. It helps to know that the students and professors are not studying my person, just my body. And that’s only because the subject of human anatomy is an important part of an artist’s training. Also, they help me by explaining the importance of the poses I sit in. Many times, students ask me to imitate film star poses.
“I started with earning Rs 50 for seven hours of work. But now I am paid Rs 100. Despite repeated requests and applications to the government, there has been no hike for several years. In the 10 years that I have worked as a nude model, several students who have sketched me have gone on to become world- famous artists. But they treat me with respect whenever they meet me.”
Often misunderstood“Apart from students and professors of the institute, nobody knows what my work actually entails. Those who don’t understand art obviously do not look at the work respectfully. A handful of the people in my basti who know what I do often taunt me and pass lewd comments. People have several misconceptions about my job and some even think that I’m a prostitute. I don’t blame them because initially, even I considered it to be prostitution.
‘For the rest of the world, including my neighbours and relatives. I am a housemaid or I do odd jobs at offices. When I am asked where I work,
I try to be as vague as possible. What matters most to me is that I am able to support my family. My sons believe I am a sweeper at a reputed art college in south Mumbai. The only reason why I m continuing with this job is because I have nothing else to fall back upon. Also, since the pay is so low, all other women who used to work as models have left. Out of solidarity, sometimes, the students give me money for my lunch or tea:’
Vacations too“Life gets tough during the college vacations. I get a four-month break from work at a stretch. Sometimes I end up spending all the time at home without another job. Both my sons had to leave school because I could not pay their fees. They were forced to take up odd jobs. For now, I have no choice but to continue working at the art school. Apart from the money, my biggest worry is that one day, my sons will find out what I do and I know that like everybody, they, too, will never be able to accept me.”.
