Jitesh Singh Deo, who has won the Mr. India World 2017 title, has Bollywood dreams which he hopes come true soon.
Deo, who belongs to a middle-class family from Lucknow, bagged the title earlier this month in Mumbai.
“I’m an aspiring actor and I am hoping to make it big on the silver screen soon. I’ve walked at various fashion shows and done print shoots,” Deo told IANS.
Having succeeded Rohit Khandelwal, who made India proud by winning the Mr World 2016 title, Deo hopes to win at the international pageant too.
He says the “bar is set”, with Haryana girl Manushi Chhillar winning the Miss World 2017 title.
“It’s a great achievement that Mr. World and Miss World titles have been won by India by Rohit and Manushi respectively. And the bar is set. So, I have to work even more hard to retain the title. I’ll take proper guidance from Rohit and Manushi, and work smart accordingly,” he said.
A City Montessori School alumnus, Deo says he loves outdoor activities and since his days as a student, he has a keen interest in dance, music and creativity.
“I took part in various events. There was always an actor in me which couldn’t come out until I stepped out of home and moved to Delhi for further studies. I pushed my limits,” he said.
While he agrees that the common perception is that modelling is the stepping stone into films, Deo said: “I believe that one should focus on their strengths and work hard for it. Right now, I am focusing on acting as I want to become an actor.”
In his larger role as Mr. India, he wants to “motivate and encourage the youths of this country to work hard for their dreams and goals, and follow their passion”.
A cause that is close to his heart is child labour.
“I want to remove it and I want the children and the teens to get proper education because they are the future of India, and the future of this country is in their hands. So if the youths and children are moulded well, they can work together for the progress of this country,” said Deo, who is a nature lover.