On 16 February, transgender activist and founder of Delhi-based LGBT NGO Mitr Trust, Rudrani Chettri Chauhan revealed the names and pictures of the first three models that successfully cleared auditioning rounds for India’s first transgender modell agency.

The auditions were held on 7 February in Khirki Extension, Saket, Delhi, where a panel of four judges – celebrity stylist Rishi Raj, fashion designer Nida Mahmood, winner of the Kingfisher Model Hunt ’16 Aishwarya Sushmita and Chauhan – evaluated just under 30 entries before choosing the final three.

Rishi Raj admits that at first the jury panel didn’t know what to expect. “We weren’t looking for clichés, simply people who had a raw potential that could be polished and groomed,” he said in an interview with HuffPost India.

I don’t want to create transgender models simply for them to be given work because they are transgender.

“The main parameters were camera presence… we were looking for faces that could tell a story, not faces that were beautiful in a generic way. A face with a story was more important, which is what we found in all the finalists,” said Mahmood, often referred to as India’s queen of kitsch for her funky designs.

Raj revealed that the excitement surrounding the auditions was promising: “Several publishing houses have expressed their interest, as has as an Indian blogger who is huge in the Bollywood and fashion genre,” he revealed. What’s more, a representative of Boney Kapoor’s productions attended the auditions and wanted to cast two of the models in non-stereotypical roles in a film with Sridevi.

However, Raj and Chauhan are being cautious to avoid what they refer to as a “half-baked impact”.

“I don’t want to create transgender models simply for them to be given work because they are transgender. We want to give them the skills required, and then put them in the arena with female models so they have an equal chance, and are selected purely on their own merit,” said Raj.

Mahmood and Raj also admitted that the models need a lot of polishing. “Before anything, they need a lot of grooming. They need to know what the fashion and glamour world is about, and how to fit in. It will take a little time and expertise,” said Mahmood who also expressed an interest in shooting with the models.

All three models have had hard lives, but are also united by a determination to make it big, added Chauhan.

Here are the three faces the agency chose: