Chennai just got a new talent factory that is for anyone with dreams of being a star

Launched by fashion choreographer Karun Raman, this has been 20 years in the making
Chennai just got a new talent factory that is for anyone with dreams of being a star

With places slowly opening up, choreographers and designers who experienced a nearly six-month lull in business are finally back in the game. But Karun Raman says his latest venture has been in the pipeline for a lot longer — 20 years to be exact. Beautifull Chaos, which launched on TTK Road, earlier this week, is a space for fresh talent to blossom. Expect an intensive seven-day boot camp with a curriculum that encompasses grooming rituals, your best camera angles and even public speaking — for aspiring models, actors, and television personalities. But the fashion choreographer is quick to clarify, “This is not a classroom, it’s a place to express yourself.” A talent factory. 

<em>Jackie Besterwitch</em>
Jackie Besterwitch



Meet the coaches
To scout, hone and harness these talents — he has brought on board his many talented friends. Think Sudarshan of The Storyteller — who has worked with heavyweights in Kollywood like Surya and Dhanush — and will be handling portfolio shots. There’s also popular model Jackie Besterwitch who will serve as a runway coach and Dr Kannan Pugazhendi, a wellness and sports medicine expert, who will speak on fitness and attaining a healthy state of mind. 

    The intentional double ‘ll’ in the name Beautifull Chaos promises full acceptance of everyone with dreams of making it in the entertainment industry. Young, old, trans, bold. It’s heartening to see this inclusive sentiment reflect in the very first batch of participants — which has two members of the transgender community already signed up.

<em>Shanthi, Karun Raman, K S Ravikumar, Susan & Priya at the launch</em>
Shanthi, Karun Raman, K S Ravikumar, Susan & Priya at the launch



With the DMs pouring in on the Instagram page since August — vulnerabilities are often at the root of frequently asked questions. Can I be a model? Am I too short to be a model? Karun remembers this feeling only too well from back in the day when he was looking for an acting break (which he got with K S Ravikumar’s Aethirree in 2004). “I want to be that person that you can go to, to ask a question, that friend you can confide in,” he shares. This is why ‘sir’ simply doesn’t figure into the vocabulary of his sessions, age irrespective.

<i>As you can tell, masks and hygiene protocol are a mandate at every session</i>
As you can tell, masks and hygiene protocol are a mandate at every session



Strut, selfie, sanitize
As for launching smack in the middle of a pandemic — we’re told that all the necessary precautions are being taken, from social distancing to fog machines sanitizing the interiors every 20 minutes. Also, at a time when models are having a tough time finding a ramp to hit their stride, Karun shares, “We’ve built a 24-foot runway in-house.” Flanked by posters of inspirations in the entertainment biz like Priyanka Chopra and Lara Dutta, this 2,000 sq ft talent factory, designed in white and gold, is ripe with possibility.

But there is work to be done. “And homework!” Karun insists. Assignments include stand-out-of-the-crowd selfies and introspective pageant questions.  

Top pic courtesy: Caitlyn Wilson on Unsplash

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