"I hated 'Lakme Fashion House' at first!"

A thrilled Shahzad Kalim, the winner of LFH, bares his heart in his first tete a tete with the media, about his journey to the house of Versace.

Shahzad Kalim: Dream come true!

He is cool, he is suave, he is wacky…and perhaps the luckiest fashion designer on earth at the moment! He is Patna's Shahzad Kalim, the newly crowned designer who gets to intern at the house of Versace. His voice breaks as he describes this awesome experience, and we know that for this youngster, this is a dream come true. The other contestants hoped that he would manage to convince Donatella to send five more tickets for them! Such is their faith in his charms. The glitz and glamour of the fashion industry hasn't touched him yet, as he pours out his thoughts without any inhibitions. He still hasn't got used to his phone ringing non-stop. In Delhi, preparing for his debut at the Lakme Fashion Week, Shahzad Kalim found time out to speak to Ananya Sengupta on Sunday night, soon after his crowning, about the things that make him special.

So how are you feeling…

Wow! (Laughs) When Abhishek Bachchan was walking towards me, I thought, what is he doing, coming my way. I was in a state of shock. But when he hugged me, it was the happiest moment of my life!

Well, has it sunk in yet?

No, I still can't believe that I am going to Milan. I have been dreaming about this for the past five years. You don't know what this means to me.

I can see that you are now flooded with calls for interviews…

There was a time when there was no one to listen to my thoughts, my ideas. Now, there are people, important people, who are calling up to know what I have to say! It's great..

My work - my passion and my dream!

You designed a completely Indian outfit for the final round. Weren't you scared that Donatella might not be impressed…

On the contrary, I thought she had seen enough of western wear, she is in India, and she must taste some Indian flavour. I think India won it for me!

What about being part of a reality show?

Well, frankly at first I hated it. I like my privacy, but for it to be invaded by cameras all the time wasn't my idea of fun. But gradually, I realized that I had to take it positively, otherwise it would affect my performance. So from then on, I spoke into the camera whenever I wanted something…just shouted my demands into it! I have already started missing it.

The contest seemed to have given you the shortest way to the top…

Definitely, it was a shortcut to success. But pressures were great, it wasn't easy, to work under such conditions was a challenge. So I agree the journey was short, but talent wasn't compromised.

So tell me about your time with the other contestants?

Oh it was great fun. I wish we could all go together to Milan. Even after the show was over they were very happy for me…even when their dreams were crushed. We always talked about the time when the one person who went to Milan would come back to India, and then we would all go to a hill station for a holiday! We always planned things together.

How long will you be in Milan?

For six months, for my internship. I plan to impress Donatella, and stay on for two years. I want to learn as much as I can.

Oh for some Indian food!

You will be away from India for a long time, what are you going to miss…

The food for sure, I don't know how I am going to survive without it. But I love pizzas, so I guess that's it for me. I am going to miss all my friends, who have been supporting me all this while.

Any special girl that you'll miss…

No one special yet…But a couple of days back when I was at TVR Saket, three girls came up to me and asked for my autograph --- that's a start! Sometimes I feel that I am dreaming.

If you had to design a garment for Donatella herself, what would it look like…

It would have a western cut. But it would have lots of brocade work, chikankari, pastel colours--- something different from what she usually wears.

We hope that you will you come back to India...

I cannot forget India. It is in my work. It is in everything I do. I am surely coming back!