Bidapa employee’s indecent proposal

Want to be a model? Sure, if you can... errrr... 'handle' clients , says co-ordinator from Prasad Bidapa Associates, Bangalore's most famous modelling agency

Bidapa employee's indecent proposal

Want to be a model? Sure, if you can... errrr... 'handle' clients , says co-ordinator from Prasad Bidapa Associates, Bangalore's most famous modelling agency

Aspiring model Riya (24, name changed on her request) was shocked beyond belief when Bangalore's most famous modelling agency asked her to sleep with clients in return for an assignment.

Riya, who came to Bangalore a year ago to work in a private firm, tried her luck with Prasad Bidapa Associates (PBA) after a lot of research.

She sent her pictures to PBA.u00a0 In April, she received an e-mail from the agency, asking her to attend a workshop. She went to their office on April 30 to register for the workshop on May 6.

The New Model Hunt contest was held on May 10 but she didn't get through.

Disturbing SMS

The story, however, didn't end there, and what followed was more disturbing than her loss.

According to a complaint filed at Mahadevapura police station, two weeks after the competition, a PBA co-ordinator, Amit, sent her an SMS asking her if she was interested in modelling for a resort.

But Riya, the message said, would have to "handle the clients" and keep them "happy", failing which she would not be given the assignment.

"I was embarrassed and shocked when I got a message like that from one of the most reputed agencies in the country," said Riya.

When she refused, back came a message saying, "There are so many girls out there..."

Bidapa's reaction

"I immediately messaged Prasad Bidapa, who owns the agency, and told him what had happened. But he shrugged it off saying I was making allegations with no proof. He said he had spoken to Amit who had denied having spoken to me," says Riya.

When Riya told him she had saved his messages and forwarded some, his tone reportedly changed and so did his approach to the incident. "He seemed sympathetic and promised to take action," Riya alleged.

But Riya is devastated. "I had heard so much about PBA. I cannot believe that such a reputed agency is capable of such shameful things," she said.

Amit out, says Bidapa. But...

MiD DAY spoke to Prasad Bidapa and asked if he was aware of the incident. First, he said he didn't know what was happening. Then, he said very politely that he had dismissed Amit.

"There was a case like that. We dismissed that person. It was last week, right? We have dismissed the concerned person," he said.

In his own words: "We spoke to that girl... explained to her and felt very bad for her... We apologised... and told her that we have dismissed the concerned person".

But when MiD DAY spoke to Amit, he said he was very much with Prasad Bidapa Associates.

And when a reporter, pretending to be an aspiring model, spoke to him, he asked for her height and told her to email her portfolio. The e-mail address he gave was prasadbidapa@gmail.com.

'Are you comfortable in handling clients?'

Excerpts from the SMS conversation between Riya and Amit, PBA co-ordinator

Amit: How are you.., howz life
Riya: M ok, life is a little dull n slow ya, pba not giving any offers no, that's y, lol

Amit: no pain no gainu2026 wher you stay..,
Riya: Towards Indira nagar

Amit: I have client who want some models for his resort advertisement.., you wanna do?
Riya: Yes, if they r fine with me. also it would be all clean right. m not ok with any swimsuits. let me no otherwise m fine

Amit: Ya that is ok but are you comfortable in handling clients.., you know what I mean..,
Riya: I dint get u, is it that v have to do things to keep them happy, like other than posing 4 d camera? is that what u trying to say?

Amit: Yes..,
Riya: No man, m very new in this industry n this is a total no no. i dint no pba is into this too. its shocking 4 me.

Amit: See this is not for us.., all these F****** clients are like that.., anyway leave it,. There are so many girls out there..,