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When Alston De Sousa submitted his form in May this year for
an online audition for a pageant, he was already confident that he would
qualify. A month later, he was standing on stage at Mr Supranational pageant
among the top five contestants in Jaipur and was declared the first runner up
at the national pageant. Confident about his talent and calibre, Alston had
mixed feelings yet a sense of pride that he made it in the modelling industry,
a struggle of nearly six years.
Today, Alston is overjoyed as he is making his way from Mumbai
to Goa to meet his family and friends after being declared a winner at the
pageant. He is excited to share his stories and experiences. “I will be heading
to our ancestral home in Nerul and I am looking forward to meeting all my
family members and friends. I definitely miss Goa a lot, especially its natural
beauty and the amazing food,” says Alston.
Alston completed his Bachelor’s in Mass Communication and
Videography from St Xavier’s College, Mapusa and moved to Mumbai to pursue
post-graduation in filmmaking. He has acted in short films, several TV
commercials, digital ads and has worked as a model with several brands on many
of their fashion campaigns. He also is a fitness influencer and is an
ambassador with reputed brands from the fitness industry. “When I was studying
filmmaking, I was placed in an ad agency for a year. That is when I got
acquainted with the modelling and film industry. But since then, it has been
very challenging especially for someone like me who comes from a background
with no connections. I had to start from the ground up by preparing my
portfolio, meeting people, sending emails and building an image in the
modelling industry,” says Alston, who is trained in mixed martial arts.
Alston has featured in several ads which air on TV as well as
online including one for a tyre brand where he worked with Aamir Khan. “We
spent a short time together but I learnt so much from him. He really deserves
the title of Mr Perfectionist. Usually big stars shoot their part separately
but he was with us and he was guiding us and enlightening us on so much more
than just the ad,” says Alston. He also has worked in a short film, ‘The Date’
that was produced by renowned casting director Mukesh Chhabra and was screened
in Mumbai.
In May, Alston participated in Mr Supranational pageant by
auditioning for its preliminary rounds, which were held online. Within the
comfort of his home, he answered the questions and even did a ramp walk over
the Zoom call. “We were first selected based on the form we filled. The second
round was a personal interview wherein we had to showcase our talent, walk and
also give a detailed description about ourselves and why we deserve to be Mr
Supranational. I had to walk back and forth in front of my camera to show them
my ramp walk. I also had to send them a few photographs and videos. After
clearing both these rounds, I was chosen to represent Goa,” explains Alston,
who was selected to represent Goa from a total of 750 contestants, who applied
from all over the country.
Once in Jaipur, Rajasthan for the pageant, Alston had to go
through several rounds of photoshoots in ethnic and western wear. “There were
interview rounds to understand the contestants better, talent rounds where we
could showcase our talents and skills and finally, the ramp round where we wore
outfits by different designers and the most important, question and answer
round, based on which we were judged for our awareness, communication skills
and presence of mind,” says Alston.
Interestingly, among 30 finalists from each state, Alston is
the only contestant who has won two additional subtitles, Mr Supra Best Dancer
and Mr Supra Photogenic. “I was judged as Mr Supra Photogenic based on the
photoshoots in western and ethnic wear and for Mr Supra Best Dancer, I danced
to the Bollywood song, ‘Tu Meri’, from the film, ‘Bang Bang!’ starring Hrithik
Roshan.
“I had mixed feelings when I was declared the first
runners-up. But I had to respect and accept the decision of the jury. It also
gave me an opportunity to stand on this platform to showcase my talent as an
actor, right from my stage presence to my dancing skills to my communication
and presentation skills. It definitely feels great. Above all representing Goa
at the nationals is what gives me immense pride and joy. To give back to your
home soil in the smallest way is really fulfilling,” concludes Alston, being
optimistic of getting recognition from the modelling and film industry for his
future projects.
