The "World's Most Desirable Man" is, for the first time, Asian. Rohit Khandelwal, a 26-year-old from Hyderabad, India, was recently crowned Mr. World, besting 45 other contestants in the process.
The Wall Street Journal reports that three years ago, he left a job providing technical support for Dell to head to Mumbai, where he was pursuing his MBA and trying his hand at acting. "I was living in a single room with five other people who wanted to make it," he tells the Deccan Chronicle.
His path toward Mr. World began when he saw an ad for the Mr. India competition — and initially shrugged it off. "Then I read the description: The person should have a unique charm and should be good-natured. That is when I felt that I could do it." And he did, winning the title in 2015.
Speaking of that good nature, the Journal reports Khandelwal enjoys visiting with his grandmother and volunteering. Other desirable hobbies include cooking and table tennis, reports the India Times.
A press release explains that all 46 would-be Mr. Worlds were chosen from thousands of applicants and subjected to 12 days of "fierce competition" from which Khandelwal emerged victorious and was handed the $50,000 prize. The Times of India reports that he'll donate some and "invest" the rest in himself.
As for his desirable physique (plenty of Instagram evidence here), he tells the Hans India that he makes sure to sleep a minimum of eight hours a night and follows a particular diet: "carbs and high fiber until 6 p.m. and then it's salads, sprouts, eggs, brown bread."
Fernando Alvarez, 21, of Puerto Rico, was the runner-up, with Aldo Esparza Ramirez, 26, of Mexico taking third. (In related news, the "World's Most Interesting Man" is having a rough go of it.)
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