Badminton to modelling: Abantika makes the switch

Abantika Deka

The transformation is not dramatic or unrecognizable, but it is apparent. From a giggly teenager always seen in badminton outfits to a more serious, stylish version takes one by surprise. Abantika Deka, once one of India’s best juniors and a promising doubles player, has embarked on a modeling career – and hasn’t done badly too, for someone without any prior experience.

The Assamese girl, who spent much of her growing-up years in grueling sessions at the Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy in Bangalore, decided to shift her focus to modeling last year. In relatively short time, she has managed to break into the competitive industry, having modeled for brands like Urban Yoga, Muthoot Mini, Myntra.com and Indianmaira.com.

“I had to take a break due to a ligament injury; I had an operation,” says Abantika, who was in the country’s top-ten and an Indian team probable for the Commonwealth Games. “I wanted to do something apart from badminton. I was interested in modeling, but I had no experience. I got my portfolio done. Nobody suggested it. I wanted to do it. I started sending my portfolio to all the coordinators. I came to know a person named Sonu (Santosh Kumar), who’s a casting director and one of the best coordinators in Bangalore. I went through his agency Sujal Associates, he gave me my first break through a print campaign for Urban Yoga.”

She went on to do campaigns with Myntra.com and Indianmaira.com, modeling jewellery and Indian outfits. She got her first TVC (TV Commercial) with Muthoot Mini, in which she plays a heavily pregnant woman – which is almost amusing, for she is barely out of her teens. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0JTaCYb-r0)

“I was also in the final round of auditions with MTV Splitsville,” says Abantika. “I got selected, but then I don’t think I can sustain in that. I want to do clean work.”

Abantika Deka

Although there is little similarity between modeling and badminton, she had one thing going for her – her fitness. As a player who’d spent eleven years in Bangalore undergoing draining physical sessions, it was much easier to stay in shape as a model, to eat right and sleep on time. “It’s hard work,” she says. “But it’s fun. It’s easier for me because of my badminton background. I was a disciplined student. I’m confident in front of the camera. Whatever you do, you should get into the skin of the character. You shouldn’t feel shy, because there will be a lot of people watching you. It’s a different field. I’m slowly coming up, let’s see…”

The shift in worlds from badminton to modeling was drastic, but Abantika says she wasn’t taken aback by the new challenge. Nor is she particularly nostalgic about her badminton career. “I wanted to do well in badminton,” she says. “I performed to a level, but I couldn’t go further. I used to work hard, but I wasn’t getting results. My coaches had high expectations of me, but I couldn’t do that well. For how long could I work hard without results? So I thought I’d do modeling. I’m happy now. I will get back to badminton after four or five months, because at the end of the day, my family wanted me to be a good badminton player.”