Rising Stars: Meet Suvojit Mukherjee

Today we’d like to introduce you to Suvojit Mukherjee.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I am Suvojit Mukherjee, my friends call me Neel. I come from a country that believes in Unity in Diversity-India. I am a computer science engineering graduate student and that typical type of nerd who is a male model as well. Modeling has been my special area of interest since childhood.

I remember seeing those fashion shows on television and trying to walk like them. For me, anyone can be a model, you just need to have the right attitude. I have done a few photoshoots in India but due to some or other issues, was never able to pursue it professionally. I started modeling professionally when I walked for an Indian traditional wear brand in Canada back in 2019.

The fashion show was a hit and my modeling career kicked off. Soon, I got into an agency with lots of hopes and aspirations. I did a few photoshoots after joining them but due to internal politics, I left the agency and started freelancing. I started getting many offers when I started freelancing. My first good break was being a cover boy for Devon and Lang- a line of undergarments.

My career took off after that. I got published in various internal magazines like Hon, Volant, artofportait, etc. I got the chance of walking for various designers in prestigious fashion events like Western Canada Fashion Week, Vancouver Fashion Week, and many others. I did ad shoots and commercials with Hero Images, Calgary tourism, Alberta institute of chiropractors, and Calgary zoological society to name a few.

Recently, my photos were even published in the prestigious Avenue magazine of Calgary. I have lots of cool projects in line as well. I have varied interests outside modeling like singing, playing guitar, swimming and dancing just to name a few. Recently, I performed at a Bollywood dance event in Calgary. At the same time, I am also doing master’s in computational media design at the University of Calgary.

I am a fitness lover and the gym is my first valentine’s. Instagram is an important aspect of my life. I channel all my photoshoots, lifestyle, and fashion experiences through Instagram posts, reels and stories. Most often, I receive messages from people saying that my stories have affected them in a positive manner. It’s those times that I really feel special. Needless to say, I am brown. I have faced a lot of discrimination for the same in the modeling world.

In the international fashion weeks I attended, I can say, I was the only brown. I have raised voices about this discrimination through Instagram as well which has helped me to reach a larger audience. Being a person of color is tough, there are lots of hardships, and we need to talk more about that to remove chauvinism.

I look back to giving to the community as well and have been a volunteer for Pawsitive foundation- a rescue foundation for dogs. I also taught music and dance to underprivileged kids in India. Instagram is also a way for me to do the same. Being an influencer means influencing anyone’s life, which can be done in a positive way or a negative manner.

I choose the positive and kind way!

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The challenges were numerous. When I was in India, my life was normal and peaceful. I was stuck in a monotonous job. I never wanted to settle for anything less and wanted to break that monotony. So, I came to Canada.

In Canada, I started my master’s in computational design and at the same time, started full-fledged modeling. Truly speaking, it’s never easy. It takes a lot of time and effort to manage all the aspects in which I am engaged. As a brown-skinned person, I faced racism a lot, both in the streets of Canada and in the modeling industry. In fashion shows, when all the models stood in a line for selection, designers used to select and pick all the fair-skinned models.

I felt mentally shattered at times because of this. I used to think “is there no place for brown-skinned models in the industry?!” But I fought back and got quite a recognition by appearing in magazines and doing fashion shows. The thing that’s more surprising is that the “people of color” thing is a statement that people like to talk about, but no one recognizes that when it comes to personal preference.

As an Instagrammer and an influencer, I receive challenges every day. Some people like my content, they praise me and that makes me feel good. But I do get criticized a lot sometimes. Initially, I used to become frustrated but now, I have made peace with the thought that “Whatever you create, you will not please everybody!”

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a model and an influencer.

I started modeling professionally when I walked for an Indian traditional wear brand in Canada back in 2019. The fashion show was a hit and my modeling career kicked off. Soon, I got into an agency with lots of hopes and aspirations. I did few photoshoots after joining them but due to internal politics, I left the agency and started freelancing. I started getting many offers when I started freelancing.

My first good break was being a cover boy for Devon and Lang- a line of undergarments. My career took off after that. I got published in various internal magazines like Hon, Volant, artofportait, etc. I got the chance of walking for various designers in prestigious fashion events like Western Canada Fashion Week, Vancouver Fashion Week, and many others.

I did ad shoots and commercials with Hero Images, Calgary tourism, Alberta institute of chiropractors, and Calgary zoological society to name a few. Recently, my photos were even got published in the prestigious Avenue magazine of Calgary. I have lots of cool projects in line as well.

Instagram is an important aspect of my life. I channel all my photoshoots, lifestyle, and fashion experiences through Instagram posts, reels and stories. Most often, I receive messages from people saying that my stories have affected them in a positive manner. It’s those times that I really feel special.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://instagram.com/suvo_neel