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- RISHNA SHAH

Whether she’s spinning in Basel or Bangalore, Megha Kawale makes a stunning sight in a DJ booth. Especially when she’s always clad in elegant evening gowns that elongate her 5ft 10in frame. “I like to make heads turn,” she says with a shrug. “I want to look like a diva on stage.” Clearly, it’s working, I think, as I study her from head to toe. She’s taut, her frame is narrow, her legs infinite.

Hailing from a traditional Maharashtrian family, Kawale’s been spinning decks for over a decade. There have been spates of modelling-she walked the ramp for designers ranging from Valentino to Vikram Phadnis, and won the ‘Miss Talented’ title at the Femina miss India contest back in 2001- but these days she’s busy working on an album of fusion beats, with her own vocals.

“When I was young, I felt lanky and awkward,” Megha reveals. “I was always a back-bencher.” The other girls usually reached her waist, and she was often mistaken to be much older, but the staring and alienation stopped when the modelling began. At 22, she found the confidence she had long been craving. “Being tall, you can carry most things off-even a potato sack,” she now realises. “But it’s more about your confidence than your height.”

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Kawale loves Naomi Campbell’s proportions and Nina Manuel’s toned physique. And her own UK-size-8 body? “Above average,” she says. “God has gifted me everything in moderation. I don’t want to add or eliminate anything,” she says “If my boobs were bigger, I wouldn’t be able to walk out in a ganji. If my legs were thinner, I would have looked scrawny.” She pauses. “My arms could be a little thinner though!”

The self-confessed foodie loves eating, and home-cooked food is an absolute indulgence. “Then I eat like there’s no tomorrow,” she says, eyes glinting. Still, she has a clear strategy to punish herself for overeating. “I wear something extra-tight,” she laughs, “so I can tell myself to take more care next time!” She works out three times a week-a mix of Pilates, weights, running and swimming. “I hate cardio. I’m always trying to skip it,” she says cheekily.

When it comes to her wardrobe, the DJ tries to leave some things to the imagination and steers away from “loud sexy”. Loyal to Gavin Miguel, she reveals that her style secret is a fitted dress with a conservative hemline. Kawale’s fashion rules include wearing cotton as much as possible, no high-waists, and four-inch heels only when she’s out with other models. She keeps it “cute sexy” with a short skirt and loose top from Zara or Bershka, although on-stage she likes contrast: a dainty dress with high energy music. You never know what the next track is going to be when you party with Kawale-she’s full of surprises.