Paris Hilton to model in India,despite video ban
Hotel heiress Paris Hilton is to model for an upmarket American fashion line in India next year despite her music video being banned in the country for being too explicit, a newspaper report said on Monday.
The 25-year-old heiress to the Hilton hotel fortune will shoot for her friend, Anand Jon, an American fashion designer of Indian descent who is introducing a line of high-end evening wear for India's stylish elite.
"Paris is a very close friend of mine. We have known each other for a long time now. So, when I told her about this visit, she was pretty excited," the Times of India quoted Jon as saying.
"For her, India is the land of exotica and beauty. In fact, her response was: 'I finally get to visit the exotic'. She loves Indian culture and the Indian influence on clothes," he said.
In August, Indian censors issued an "Adult" certification -- which means it cannot be broadcast on any TV channel -- for the blonde socialite's new music video "Stars Are Blind".
Conservative attitudes towards sex run deep in Indian society, despite more openness in urban centres such as Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore.
Jon said Hilton would visit five Indian cities including Mumbai to shoot the campaign, but a final schedule was still being worked out.
Although she hasn't visited the country before, Hilton is well known in trendy Indian social circles and CD copies of a notorious sex romp involving her and an ex-flame can be bought locally for as little as $2.
