Maleesha Kharwa Age, Family, Biography & More

Bio/Wiki
Name earned	The Princess From The Slum
Profession(s)	• Model • Social media influencer
Famous For	Becoming the face of the luxury beauty brand Forest Essentials’ new ad campaign 'The Yuvati Selection.'
Physical Stats & More
Height (approx.)	in centimeters- 161 cm in meters- 1.61 m in feet & inches- 5’ 3”
Weight (approx.)	in kilograms- 45 kg in pounds- 99 lbs
Figure Measurements (approx.)	30-28-30
Eye Colour	Dark Brown
Hair Colour	Light Ash Brown
Personal Life
Date of Birth	13 January 2008 (Sunday)
Age (as of 2023)	15 Years
Zodiac sign	Capricorn
Nationality	Indian
Hometown	Mumbai
School	She is studying in a government-run school in Mumbai.
Educational Qualification	As of 2023, she is studying in the tenth standard.
Caste	Hindu Kharwa
Hobby	Dancing
Family
Parents	Father- Mukesh Kharwa (cartoon mascot) Mother- Name Not Known
Siblings	Sister- None Brother- Sahil Kharwa (younger)
Favourites
Song	Tu Aake Dekhle by King
Dessert	Cake
Subject in school	English

Some Lesser Known Facts About Maleesha Kharwa

• Maleesha Kharwa is an Indian model, social media influencer, and internet personality, who is popular for going from rags to riches after she crossed paths with American actor Robert Hoffman.

• At the age of 5, Maleesha set her ambitions to become a model and dancer.
  

  A childhood picture of Maleesha Kharwa

• In an interview, Maleesha was asked about her mother to which she replied that she did not wish to discuss her mother since she was not with them.

• Being the first child of her family to attend school, Maleesha takes her education seriously which is why she scores well in school exams. In an interview, she talked about how it was important for her to get good grades and said that it makes her father very happy. She further added that although she wants to become a model, she would put her education above anything else.

• It was in 2020 when Maleesha drew the attention of Robert Hoffman, an American actor, who was in India during the pandemic to film a music video. Maleesha’s family came to the set to try and get cast. He was impressed with Maleesha’s stories, strong academic performance, and desires to become a model and dancer. With her family’s permission, he then took on the role of her agent and started posting videos of her online. The photographs garnered positive feedback from the viewers, who praised her for her attractiveness.
  

  Maleesha Kharwa and Robert Hoffman

• Robert created a GoFundMe page for Maleesha when she was 12 years old. He shared Maleesha’s story on the page where he started a fundraiser for her. While describing her poor living conditions on the GoFundMe page, Maleesha wrote,
  

  In order to survive in the city, my family and I undertake odd jobs to make money. Sometimes my family will go to TV and movie sets hoping to get picked as background actors. This is how I got interested in becoming a professional child model! There are many jobs like children’s clothing catalogues which I could potentially get cast in! I feel that I have been blessed with this chance to gain your help. With your help, I may be able to study in a dry and safe place lay my head as I pursue my dream. A lot of my favourite actresses started when they were kids by following their heart.”

  

  A screenshot of Maleesha’s GoFundMe page created by Robert Hoffman

• Maleesha resided in a shelter in a Bandra slum in Mumbai. She described the struggles her family faced, in an interview, adding that getting to eat two nutritious meals a day is a luxury. Maleesha detailed her experience and her living circumstances, particularly during the monsoon season, on the GoFundMe website.
  

  The only thing I don’t like is that many times my brother and I don’t have enough to eat, and it can be hard for me to get water. Also, in a month, the monsoons will come. It’s hard for us to sleep when it rains because we do not have a roof. We use a plastic tarp, but the winds can be very strong in the Monsoon season. People often ask me if living in a slum makes me sad, and this question always confuses me because I love my home so much! Here is where I live.”

  

  A picture of Maleesha Kharwa’s home in the slum

• In an interview, she revealed that it was Gopal Kawde, an Indian photographer, who asked her if she could model for him. He then took permission from her manager and father and – for Maleesha’s first photo shoot.
  

  Maleesha Kharwa’s first photo shoot

• Maleesha attracted the interest of various media houses as her tale went viral all over the internet. She started modelling when she was 12 years old, and when she began to make money, she and her family left the slum and moved into a 1BHK room in Bandra.

• Apart from speaking the local slang of Mumbai, she loves talking in the English language.

• Maleesha Kharwa has several people funding her education and basic necessities, however, Robert Hoffman is assisting with her education.

• Maleesha wants to study and pursue performing arts.

• According to Maleesha, actress Priyanka Chopra has inspired her.

• Aside from getting dolled up for the photo shoot and events, Maleesha loves getting her makeup done.
  

  Maleesha Kharwa posing during a non-commercial photoshoot

• She adores Nora Fatehi‘s dancing skills and wants to be Nora’s BFF.

• Maleesha has been offered to act in two Hollywood films.

• Maleesha has been sponsored by The Danceworx Performing Arts Academy Bandra Studio for her dance classes.

• In 2021, Arsala Qureishi and Jas Sagu directed a short film titled Live Your Fairytale, which was based on the first-time experience of five slum youngsters, including Maleesha, visiting a restaurant.
  

  Poster of the short film Live Your Fairytale (2021)

• Maleesha has starred in a number of TV commercials and print advertisements for well-known brands. She has been featured in a variety of popular publications, including The Peacock Magazine, Cosmopolitan, Vogue, and Grazia.
  

  Maleesha Kharwa featured in Cosmopolitan magazine in 2022

• As of May 2023, she has more than 245K followers on Instagram.

• In 2023, a high-end cosmetics company called Forest Essentials got in touch with Maleesha and offered her the chance to be the face of their campaign “The Yuvati Selection.”
  

  Maleesha Kharwa, the face of Forest Essentials’ new ad campaign, featured on their official website

  Mira Kulkarni, the founder and chief managing director of Forest Essentials, talked about Maleesha and the main objective behind Forest Essentials’ ad campaign in an interview and said,

  Through our Yuvati collection, we are not only supporting Maleesha’s dreams but also contributing to Project Paathshala to empower young minds. The brand will donate 10% of the proceeds from the Yuvati Selection towards Project Paathshala to provide children from underprivileged backgrounds access to education with the hope of a brighter India. While Maleesha is the face of this campaign, what Forest Essentials is bringing to the forefront is the idea of dreams. The undercurrent here is that no matter where you come from, how big or small your dream is, dreams are for everyone, and all dreams matter.”

• In 2023, she bought a brand new mobile phone with her own money and shared the news with her Instagram followers.
  

  Maleesha Kharwa showing her new phone which she purchased herself